Semi-automatic dispenser and applicator



May 15, 1962 E. J. WASEK 3,034,129

SEMI-AUTOMATIC DISPENSER AND APPLICATOR Filed Nov. 2, 1960 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR EDWARD J. WASEK May 15, 1962 E. J. WASEKSEMI-AUTOMATIC DISPENSER AND APPLICATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov 2,1960 United States Patent 3,034,129 SEMI-AUTOMATlC DESPENSER ANDAPPLICATGR Edward J. Wasek, Box 18, Mount Marion, N.Y. Filed Nov. 2,1960, Ser. No. 66,750 Claims. (Cl. 1-177) This invention relates tosemi-automatic dispensing and applicating devices in general, and morespecifically to a dispensing and applicating device having particularutility in the sport of fishing. v

In the highly popular sport of fishing, it is often necessary to attachlead weights to the line so that the latter may sink deeper into orremain quiet in the water wherein the hopeful fisherman casts his line.In many techniques for applying the lead weights to a line, it isnecessary that the angler prop his rod to a secure hitching-post whilehe employs his two hands to attach lead wire or a lead clincher to hisline. It would be highly desirable to be able to use one hand to performthe steps of applying as well as afiixing a lead weight to a fishingline. It would also be highly desirable to be able to apply and aflixlead weights of different sizes, yet do so without substantiallyincreasing the cost of the lead weights.

The invention employs a tubular element or cylinder having longitudinalslots running along the periphery of the tube from one end of the tubeto its other end, very similar to a holder for carrying poker chips,save that such slots house lead shot instead of poker chips. The slotsmay be of different diameters and/or of different cross-sections tohouse assorted lead shots, but such modifications are optional. Thus,once loaded, various sizes of shot are carried by the device to permitweighting down of the line for difl'erent conditions of stream currentflow. The lead shot comes in the form of a chain and is inserted intothe slots through the bottom end of the cylinder and a cap is eitherscrewed on, snapped on, or otherwise secured to bottom end so as toretain the lead shots within the housing. At the top end of the tubularelement that houses the lead shot is a blade and a plunger. The blade isshaped like a scythe so that a person may, using only one hand, hold thecontainer, feed a strip of lead so that a single shot protrudes beyondthe top end of the cylinder but beneath the plunger, turn the blade soas to grip such protruded shot and prevent its return to its slot, placethe exposed shot about a fishing line, press down on the plunger so asto afin; the shot to the line, and then rotate the scythe blade to severthe shot from the main chain, strip or string of lead shot. If any moreshot need be applied, the aforementioned procedure is repeated. The lastshot of each chain has a key for riding in its associated channel so asto prevent the string of lead shot from rotating in its channel and thuskeeping all the lead shot of the string oriented in a desired direction.

It is an object of this invention to provide a unitary device that canhouse and dispense single elements of a chain or string of elements, andaffix such dispensed elements to a suitable receiving station, employingonly one hand for carrying out such operations.

It is a further object to provide a semi-automatic dispenser andapplicator that can house and dispense single elements of differentsizes.

Another object is to provide a novel unit of shot particularly adaptedfor such semi-automatic dispenser and applicator.

Yet another object is to provide a semi-automatic dispenser andapplicator that is particularly useful in the sport of fishing, and issimple in operation and inexpensive to manufacture.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of theinvention will be apparent from the following more particulardescription of a preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustratedin the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-section taken along the line 3-3 shown in FIG. l.

FIG. 4 is a detailed view of the operation of the knifeblade and plungercap shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is the same view as FIG. 4 showing the condition of the shotafter pressure has been applied to it.

FIG. 6 is a showing of another type of plunger cap that can be used inthe practice of the invention. 4

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a string of shot particularly showingkeying means on the last shot.

Looking at the invention depicted in FIG. 1, from the bottom to the top,there is .shown a cover 2 that can be made of a light-weight rust proofsubstance such as plastic which is removably attached either by screwingit or snapping it onto the base portion of cylindrical member 4.Recessed into the body of cylinder 4 are channels 6, such channels beingperipherally disposed about said cylinder to form slots that extendlongitudinally along the entire length of the cylinder 4. Such channels6 may vary in number and geometrical cross-section, but the embodimentused to represent the invention is shown to have a circularcross-section 8 because the lead shot 1i) that is housed in the body ofcylinder 4 is ball-shaped. Each shot 19 is connected to its adjacentshot by a thin neck portion 12, also of lead, and the channel 6 is madelong enough to house the required number of shot 10 that are joinedtogether with neck portions 12.

At the top of cylinder 4 is a camv 14 which is rotatable about a rod 16,said rod 16 being rigidly attached to plunger 18, and the rod 16 andplunger 18 tend to fall into a pocket (not shown) that surrounds rod 16,except that spring 20 urges plunger 18 and rod 16 away from cam 14. Cam14 has two features whose operation will be described hereinafter,namely, lug 22 and knife edge 24. i

The operation of the invention willnow be described. The sportsman whois to spend the day fishing, selects the various size lead shot that heanticipates he will need for the day, removes cap 2 from the main body4, and loads the respective channels 6 and then screws on, snaps on, orotherwise atiixes cap 2 onto the body 4 so that the cap 2 serves as afloor on which the shot it) rest. When the sportsman wishes to afiix acertain size shot 10 to his fishing line, he grips the entire device inhis hand and uses a finger, preferably the thumb, to urge the entireline of shot until a single shot ltl protrudes above the top of thecylindrical body 4. The operator then uses another finger of the samehand to apply pressure on lug 22 so as to rotate cam 14 until thelatters knife edge 24 slides around and under the protruded shot It), asis better seen in FIG. 4. The protruded shot 10 rides on the uppersurface. of knife-blade edge 24 so that the shot 10 is retained by suchedge 24, permitting the thumb of the operator to be releasedwithoutcausing the chain of shot to fall back into its channel 6. Atthis point, he places the grooved or slotted portion of shot 10 over hisline 28, and presses down on plunger 18 until the groove closes tightlyabout line 28, as shown in FIG. 5. Once the groove is closed about line28, pressure is released from plunger 18 and pressure is applied to lug22 with sufficient force so that the curved knife edge 24 severs shot 10from its adjacent neck 12, the severed shot ltl is retained on line 28and the remaining string of shot falls back to the floor of the cylinderunless a restraining finger prevents the string from so doing. Toprevent a string of shot from rotating in its channel, the last shot 10can be keyed so as to ride in channel 6, maintaining orientation ofentire string of shot. FIG. 7 shows a key 11 which is similar on aselected portion of the line.

, 3 to a nipple or a widened protuberance that is supplied only to' thelast shot of each chain. 'Such key 11 will conform to the size of thechannel in which it will ride., The visible shot readily tells thefisherman when his supply is exhausted in a given channel.

FIG. 3 is a side view (as distinct from the end view of FIG. 4) of aportion ofthe fishing line 28 showing how the invention is employed tosupport a lead shot 19 prior to nesting the groove of such shot overline .28.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the invention wherein a minor detail ofthe invention is brought out. It was mentioned before that rod 16 ridesWithin a bore, such ashore 30, of body 4. To limit the travel of rod 16after f such rodhas been inserted into bore 16, a locking pin 32 7 18.The plunger 18, when pressure is applied to its top olf center, can bemade to urge its bottom surface against alead shot 10 so as to closesaid shot about a lineZS. The universal joint embodiment avoids the useof a spring '20, which may be desirable in that spring 20 may be subjectto rust-if the invention is used near salt Water. Obviously materialswill be employed, such as plastics and aluminum, to make the devicelight and rust-proof. --Other employed metals may be plated to render'them rust-pro of. V t

It is understood that the body 4 need not be cylindrical =normust theshot 10 be all of the same size, nor need the channels 6 be circular incross-section. The geometry 'of these features can be changed tosuit theneeds of the fisherman. The lead shot 10 can be replaced with magneticmaterial that can be fed and clinched, just as the lead v shot is fedand clinched, onto paper, cloth, etc. so as to permit blue prints,documents, work sheets, etc. to adhere I .tojmetallicwalls. 328bye-tangled, kinked, or otherwise snarled,.kjnife 24 can It is alsonoted that should the line be used to out said line 28 prior to usingthe invention While the invention has been particularly shown anddescribed with reference to a preferred embodiment therebody portion,channels disposed circumferentially about said main body andrextendinglongitudinally of said body, each of said channels adapted to house anindividual chain of such elements, a rotatable knife having afingerengageablelug and disposed atop of said body and mayable into thepath of any chain that may be urged in its respective channel toprotrude beyond the top of said body so-as to be engaged by said knife,and pressure means disposed above said rotatable knife and adapted to beurgedagainst any element that is so engaged by said knife.

2. A unitary device for'feeding and dispensing with the fingers of onehand lead shot to a fishing line whereposed longitudinally of said mainbody, each channel housing a chain of lead shot, a rotatable knifehaving a finger-engageable lug and disposed atop of saidbody whereby onefingercanurge a single shot of a given chain in its respective'channelto protrude beyond the top of said body and another finger can engagesaid lug so as to move said rotatablefknife so that the latter canengage. the bottom of said protruded shot and prevent said shot'and itscorresponding chain from falling back into its corresponding channel,and pressure means located on said device adjacent said knifeWhereby'pressure can be applied to the engaged shot to close its grooveabout a fishing line.

3. A unitary device for feeding and dispensing with the fingers of onehand lead shot to a fishing line wherein said lead shot comes in a chainof individual elements and each element of shot has a groove adapted tofit over said line comprisinga main body portion, channels disposedlongitudinally of said main body and adapted to house such chain ofindividual elements therein, a rotatable knife having afinger-engageable lug and disposed at the other end of saidbody andmovable into the path of any single shot of a chain that may be urged inits respective channel to protrudebeyond the top of said body so asto-be engaged by said knife, and pressure means disposed above saidrotatable knife and adapted to be urged against any shot so engaged bysaid knife so as to cause a closure of said groove.

4. A unitary device as defined in claim 3 wherein one of said shot insaid chain of elements has keying means thereon tonavcid rotationxof achain in its respective channel. e

5. A unitary device for feeding and dispensing with the V fingers of onehand lead shot toa'fishing line wherein said lead'shot comes in a chainof individual elements and each element of shot has a groove adaptedto'fit over said line comprising a substantially cylindrical body,channels disposed longitudinally of said cylindrical body, each channelhousing a chainof lead shot, means for sealing oi the bottom of saidbody was to maintainsaid chains within theirrespective channels, arotatable knife having a finger-engageable lug and disposed atop of saidbody and movable into the path of any single lead shot that ReferencesCited in the file of this-patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,023,676Pa-ncoast Apr. 16, 1912 2,701,427 Vironda Feb. 8, 1955 2,736,026 IBelokin Feb. 28, 1956 2,867,809 Czelusniak Jan. 13,1959

